As the spring catwalk presentations continue in Paris this week, fashion editors are spotlighting a defining trend for the upcoming season: bras worn as tops, often with little or nothing layered over them. Designers from major fashion capitals are prominently featuring bras styled as standalone garments or key components of ensembles traditionally reserved for blouses or shirts.
At Dior’s recent show, models paired bras with ladylike skirt suits, leaving jackets unbuttoned or open to showcase the undergarments. Meanwhile, in Milan, Prada emphasized a revival of skirts—ranging from mini to midi lengths, pleated and ruffled, and adorned with crystals—accompanied largely by bras worn as tops. Prada’s designs included tube bras, sporty bandage styles, and delicate bralettes. Fendi also embraced the trend, presenting lace-trimmed bras paired with matching pastel skirts.
In New York, Altuzarra incorporated bras beneath shirts and dresses that were often barely fastened, while London’s Erdem offered crystal-embellished bras layered over shirts, depicting a more “wearable” approach to the trend.
The concept of bras as outerwear is not new to the fashion scene. Notably, Madonna’s iconic 1991 Jean Paul Gaultier cone bra worn at the Cannes Film Festival became a symbol of shock value and sexual empowerment in fashion. However, by today’s standards, that level of skin exposure appears comparatively modest. At the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards, Madonna revisited the corset look in black, but without the previous wave of controversy, as multiple attendees appeared in bra tops featuring materials like blue snake print, brown suede, and black crystal. Several outfits included low-slung skirts exposing toned midriffs.
The trend reflects broader shifts in fashion over recent years, as visible bras have become commonplace under suits or paired with skirts by celebrities such as Lily Allen, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Hudson, Emily Blunt, and Sandra Bullock. Bra tops have evolved from subtle glimpses to full exposure, paralleling earlier movements such as the sheer, “naked dressing” styles seen on previous red carpets.
Critics note that contemporary bra tops do not necessarily subvert traditional beauty standards as the underwear-as-outerwear motif once did. Rather than signaling rebellion, bra tops now align with prevailing ideals of extreme thinness and polished aesthetics, prompting concerns about promoting unhealthy body images. Commenting on current beauty expectations, singer Lauren Jauregui recently described not conforming to such thinness as a form of punk resistance.
Beyond cultural implications, practical considerations raise questions about the feasibility of bra tops in everyday settings. Factors such as comfort, protection, and appropriateness in different weather and social contexts present challenges to adopting this runway trend for daily wear.
While bra tops will likely remain a notable feature on spring runways and red carpets, their translation into mainstream wardrobes remains uncertain, balancing the interplay between fashion innovation and practicality.